


Family dinner

by bennysparks



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Boys learning to have better coping mechanisms, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Homophobic Language, M/M, Phil Mitchell is always a shit at heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-29 14:56:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20798474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bennysparks/pseuds/bennysparks
Summary: Callum has his head down in the back office of the funeral home, running through Louise Beckworth's paperwork when there is a light tap on the doorframe. Ben is hovering in the doorway, biting his thumbnail with his other hand pressed to his chest, where there is a scar from the bullet wound a year ago. "Ben?" He checks his phone and sees the time; they're due across at the Vic for family dinner upstairs with the Carters. "Sorry, I was hitting a bit of a roll with the—the—" Callum knows that he's babbling, because he does that, especially when he can smell the anxiety boiling off of Ben. "You okay?"





	1. Chapter 1

Callum has his head down in the back office of the funeral home, running through Louise Beckworth's paperwork when there is a light tap on the doorframe. Ben is hovering in the doorway, biting his thumbnail with his other hand pressed to his chest, where there is a scar from the bullet wound a year ago. "Ben?" He checks his phone and sees the time; they're due across at the Vic for family dinner upstairs with the Carters. "Sorry, I was hitting a bit of a roll with the—the—" Callum knows that he's babbling, because he does that, especially when he can smell the anxiety boiling off of Ben. "You okay?"

Ben shakes his head. "Sorry," he says. "I was—I had a bit of a run in with the old man. Again."

"You don't have to apologize," Callum says. He pushes his chair back and shuffles to his feet. "I can call Mick and cancel…"

"Nah," Ben says. "We're supposed to bring wine." He seems to realize something, patting his pockets. "I was going to pick up a bottle at the Minute Mart."

"We can stop on the way."

"Sorry," Ben says again, and Callum wants to tell him to quit stealing his lines. Ben is the brash loud mouth, Callum is the chronically apologetic mess. "Sorry, I just—he had a go, and I was already—it was just argument number one thousand five hundred sixty-three about how I am not a worthy son and a dirty poof and all of that. Every time I think we're making progress..."

Callum tenses, but manages to keep it off his face. He slides around the side of the desk and tilts Ben's chin up so that he can kiss him properly, quietly. He flashes back to standing in the Mitchell family kitchen, drunkenly kissing Ben while angry, and then Ben enveloping him in a hug. That was nearly a year ago now. "Well," he says. "You didn't go and get drunk. You didn't go looking for a fight. You came and found me."

"Yes," Ben says. "I wouldn't do that to you after last time."

Callum smiles. "Good man." He gnaws at his lower lip. "Sure you don't want me to call Mick?"

"They're your family," Ben says.

"Yours too, at this point."

"They put up with me."

Callum wants to remind him that Phil  _ puts up  _ with him, too, but this isn't the best time. "They  _ like _ you," he says, poking Ben in the side. He leans down and rests his head on Ben's shoulder. "I'm pretty sure Linda likes you more than she likes me, though that isn't hard. Shirley likes your vicious streak." He's about to say something else when Ben kisses him. It's hard, and a little desperate, but Callum knows this kind of kiss from Ben by now, when he needs to remember that he isn't alone, when he needs to check and make sure Callum is still there. Callum wraps his arms around Ben's back and rests their foreheads together when they pull apart. "I'm here," Callum says. "I'm here and you're here. We're going to go across to the Minute Mart and pick up a bottle. I'm gonna text Mick now." He smiles and pulls out his phone.

"I'm going to give the vino a miss tonight," Ben says. "But you go ahead."

"Nah, I'm good, love." He grins. "We'll get Shirley drunk instead."


	2. Chapter 2

It's started to rain; Callum ushers Ben out of the Minute Mart with one arm across his shoulders and a bottle of wine wedged into his armpit. He is probably going to trip and drop it, but there's a fifty-fifty chance Ben would find that funny and maybe it would lift the funk just a bit.

They veer in the direction of the Vic, and Callum scans the area for evidence of the other Mitchells; if they run into one of them it might turn into a thing, and Callum isn't in the mood to pull Ben and Louise apart if they're screaming at each other, doesn't feel like a peaceful mediator at the moment.

"C'mon," he says, hoping that he'll start to feel as light as he sounds once they're inside and upstairs. The Carters are more or less Callum's family, the ones that matter anyway; they've been slow to accept Ben because they've known him a long time and seen him at his worst, but the ice has thawed in the last few months. They accept him far more readily than the Mitchells have accepted Callum, who _ at best _ receives a gruff, disinterested reception.

At least Kathy and Ian and Bobby accept Callum.

(But never mind Stuart, never mind fucking _ Jonno…) _

Ben zips ahead and pulls the door open, nodding and saying, "After you, good sir." He is trying to be the loudmouth, but even his fake posh accent is a bit muted tonight and Callum can't stop himself from squeezing Ben's arm as he passes. Ben swats his arse on the way in and _ that _ feels normal, at least. Ben is happiest when annoying people, particularly if he can be moderately lewd about it.

"Halfway," Mick says from behind the bar. He's not looking over at the door when they come in, he's pulling a pint for a bloke leaning on the bar, but he always knows. He does look over when Ben passes. "Benjamin."

"Mickolas Mickleby," Ben says.

Mick rolls his eyes. "Stay for a drink before we head up, Elle's just finishing up and Shirley's on her way." He clears his throat. "Unless you _ want _ to run upstairs and check on Elle, see if she needs any _ help _ in the kitchen. With the roast. You know."

Callum snorts, turning back to tilt his head at Ben. "You awright?"

"I'm fine, Callum." He hovers at the edge of the bar though.

Mick appears at the end of the bar. He leans over and claps a hand on Ben's shoulder. He definitely reacts, it's all over his face, but he stops himself from flinching. "No need to hesitate, Ben. You're family now."

Ben laughs. It's soft and reedy and a little dark.

Callum breathes out and smiles across at Mick. "C'mon, babe," he says, and holds his hand out. He knows Mick is giving him a look. "We'll go have some dinner and you can trade insults with Shirley and Linda will annoy you by talking about Johnny too much which definitely has nothing to do with Johnny having a new boyfriend and someone's going to bring up Whitney _ accidentally." _

"So you're saying Shirley's going to bring it up."

"She doesn't like to upset her fans," Callum says.

"Also, you really need to let go of your weird thing about me falling in love with Johnny."

"I thought you liked it when I was jealous?"

"Oi," says Mick, as they meander toward the stairs. "You'd be lucky to have our Johnny!"

There is definitely a ten-second window where Ben clearly wants to shoot back _ I've had your Johnny _ but doesn't because Callum is giving him that look and Ben is getting better about not picking fights with people at random when he's pissed at Phil about something.

"I don't think I need jealous Callum tonight," Ben says instead.

"Okay." Callum leads Ben upstairs; it is weird that he doesn't live in the Vic anymore, doesn't go up and down these stairs everyday anymore, because he still _ dreams _ about living here. He has nightmares where his father shows up and pushes him down _ these _ stairs, asking him over and over about the wedding that didn't happen.

They reach the landing and Linda is already leaning out of the kitchen. "I _ told _ that man to keep you two downstairs while I finished up but _ I'm _sure he sent you up here on some misguided rescue mission."

Callum raises his hands. "Just put me to work, Linda."

"Fine." Linda peers at him. "Go deal with the potatoes. But if you say one word—"

"Tonight I'm _ just _ the sous-chef."

"That's _ my _ job," Ben says.

Linda reaches out a hand to Ben's lower back while Callum shuffles into the kitchen. Callum tries not to listen while he kneels in front of the oven to look at the roast. "What's with you tonight, Eeyore? Face like a backside."

"Phil."

"I can pour you a glass if you want."

"No thanks. I'm okay. Don't want to be drinking for the wrong reasons."

There is a moment of silence that has to be surprise from Linda. "Oh," she says, eventually. "Well, go make sure Halfway isn't interfering with my roast, will you? I'm going to go drag Mick up here by his ear."

Ben sidles in while Linda clambers down the stairs. He knocks their shoulders together. "I'm supposed to keep you away from the roast."

"You can be my look-out while I baste this."

"Ah yes, the stealth mission portion of being a sous-chef."

"You're very good at it, babe." Callum opens the oven and starts to suck juices up with the baster. "Did you want to talk about what Phil said?"

"I don't know why I'm surprised." Ben grips the lip of the counter and huffs. "One second he's referring to you by name an' all—_ oh sure, bring that Callum around— _ and then he's telling me Lexi's not gonna be _ normal _ because I'm _ such _ a fuck-up and a freak—"

"Excuse me?"

"What if he's right?"

"Ben." Callum pushes the roast back into the oven and closes the door. He straightens up and hip-checks Ben until Ben leans into him. Callum slides an arm around him and sighs. "Lexi is going to grow up to be better than you're hoping for because you're a good dad and Lola is a good mum and you've got me and Jay to back you up, right?" He lets out a long, strangled moan. "Now _ I _ want to hit Phil."

Ben snorts.

"Don't test me, I'll do it, if he ain't careful."

"It would certainly be a bit of a shock, if _ you _ took him down a couple pegs."

"Hey, I can be intimidating when I want to be."

"Yes, you do loom quite dramatically."

"You're a good dad," Callum says. "Lexi's lucky to have you."

Ben doesn't say anything, but presses against Callum a little more. They stand there like that for another moment before they hear Linda and Mick coming up the stairs, bickering.


End file.
